Negotiation of mathematical meaning and learning mathematics

Abstract

The teaching-learning process is considered as a social interaction. In this microethno-graphical case study an elementary teacher and first graders are observed when they ascribe mathematical meanings of numbers and of numerical operations to empirical phenomena. Because of the differences of their ascriptions, the teacher and the students negotiate mathematical meanings. Also interactional regularities help the participants to cope with ambiguity. According to different theoretical approaches, the text discusses some indirect relations between social interaction and mathematics learning. Several classrooms episodes are interpreted to illustrate specific theoretical concepts.

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